Apparatus for making sheet glass



Dec 8, 1925- H. K. HITCHCOCK APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHEET GLASS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. '5, 1925 @8 20 8 I I H. K. HlTGHCOCK APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHEET GLASS Filed Feb. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Laamzm Deco 8 H925- H. K. HETCHCOQK APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHEET .GLASS Filed Feb. 5. "1925 3 Sheets-Shasta Wye/woe mas Pete nted Dec. '8, 19.25.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT lorries.

HALBERT KfHITGHClOCK, OF BITT SBNBGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 HITCHCOCK EXPERIMENT CQMPANY; A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHEET GLASS- Application filed February 5, 1925. Serial No. 7,039.

To all whom it may co'v'wem: J 1

Be it known that LHALBERT K. Hrroflcoon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsbur h, in the county of Allegheny and State 0% Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful invention in Improvements in an Apparatus for Making Sheet Glass, of which the following is a. specification.

The invention relates to apparatus for making sheet glass in a. continuous operation by flowing it from a tank between a. pair of sizing rolls. It hasfor its princlpal obj'ects,'the provision of im roved rolling means, permitting the use 0 smaller rolls than have heretofore been employed without any substantial deformation of such rolls, so that the rolling pass between the rolls is maintained constant; the provision of rolling means of the type specified wherein the crumbling or washing away of'the clay lips of the outlet slot coacting with the rolls end'the' consequent contamination of the glass, is reduced to a. minimum; and the provision of improved rolling means wherein the formation of severely chilled glass along the lines of epproach between the rolls and clay lips is reduced in quantity, thus eliminating to a large degreethe ream or other similar defects in the glass sheet or ribbon due to this cause. Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a. partial side elevation and partial vertical section illustrating the inrention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line ii-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a. plan view. find. Fig. 4: is a vertical section through a. modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the outlet end of a tank containing a. molten bath of glass and having an outlet slot 2 through one side, such slot being formed in the clay member 3"supported by the metal framework 4 and vertically adjustable in position by suitablechein supports above, not shown. The flow of glass through the outlet may be cut oil, when this becomes desirable for any purpose, such as for replacements or repairs, by means of the water cooled gate 5. also supported for vertical movement from shore by means not shown. Extend- 1S track 6 upon which ismounted e. car 7 heads 11 swivelled in suitable brackets or mg truusveisely of the front of the furnace carrying the framework 8 upon which the rolling mechanism is mounted: This framework is mounted slidebly in the guides 9 (Fig. 2), so that the "apparatus may be adjusted toward and from the front of the furnace for the purpose as herein-after more fully set forth, this adjustment being ac? complished by means 'of the screws 10 threaded into the framework 8 having their flanges 12 extending upwardly from the bottom plate of the car body. Pivotally mounted at each side of the supporting framework 8 is a bell crank lever having the horizontalurm 13 and the downwardly extending arm 14, suchlevers being pivoted on the axles 15 of the supporting or backing rolls 16. The lower ends ofthe levers carry the sizing or dimensioning rolls 17 between which the ribbon of glass 18 is continuously formed. In order to adjust the rolls 17 toward and from each other, the horizontal ends 13 of the bell crank levers are connected by means of the vertical rods 19,, such rods. being threaded at their ends into the blocks 20 with right and left hand threads and being swivelled against vertical movement by means of the discs 21 lying in suitable recesses in the side walls of the framework 8. These discs are provided with perforations, as shown, for the reception of an adjusting oer.

lhe shafts 15 of the backing rolls projeot laterally through one of the side members of the supporting framework, as in-. dicated in Fig. 2, and these-ends are connected by suitable tumbler rods with operating mechanism for turning the rolls 16, and these rolls in turn drive the sizing 95 rolls 17 through the intermediary of the w 6 s ur ears 22 and 25 carried IQS'DGClZIVGl" by the axles of the rolls l6 and 17. The rolls 17 are made hollow and water cooled y swivelled to their ends in such mannenas to provide a continuous flow of water. -throug'l1 the rolls.

The glass as it emerges from the-sizing rolls is received upon the series-of fluid 105 glass is continuously carried through this means of water supply connectio'ns24 tion and thus obviate the necessity for using sizing rolls of large diameter, such as have heretofore been considered necessary in order to maintain a pass between the rolls of uniform width-and not subject'to variation incident to stresses set up in the roll by pressure and temperature conditions. These rolls of smaller diameter are advantageous as compared with rolls of larger diameter in that the clay lips at 26 may be made relatively blunt as compared with the lips employed with larger rolls in which the lips are necessarily extended somewhat into the triangular recess between the two rolls. The blunter lips crumble and wear away less than the sharper ones, so that after a continued period of use, the enlargen'ient o't the clearance between the rolls and the lips is less and the formation of mechanical ream incident to the. formation of highly chilled glass at these points is reduced. With the larger rolls, the-sharper lips are necessary, unless the slot is widened so asv to increase. the bluntness of the lips, and in that case, the area'of co'ntact between the,

rolls and the glass in the slot is increased,

which gives'too great a chill and promotes.

the formation of the mechanical ream heretofore referred to. The use of the smaller. rolls, therefore, not'onlyincreases the life' of .the' slot member, but also gives a product which contains less ream after the operation has continued for a considerable period.

Fig. 4: illustrates a modification employing the;- same sizing rolls17 and backing rolls 16, but having instead of the clay lips 26 of the Fig. 1 construction, the hollow members 27 which act as lips for the slot 2 and which are fluid cooled by the application of suitable circulating means. The

use of these membersavoids the difliculty as lo wearing and crumbling away incident to the clay lips, so-that the cost of replace ments and repairs is reduced and any contamination of the glass due to itsfwashing action upon the --clay is reduced to a minimum. The members 27 .are preferably made of a heat i'esistiiigcomposition, such as nichrome, and may be protected by circulating any suitable liquid or gas therethrough,'it being undesirable to too greatly chill the. glass at this point because of the tendency to form'ream. as heretofore referred to.

-What I- claimisz' I 1. The combination with a lasstank having an-outlet slot, of apair o driven forming rolls in opposition "to said slot with pass.

of the glassin the tank, and a pair ofsupporting rolls'engagingsaid forming rolls along the sides thereof opposite to said 2. The combination with a glass tank having an outlet slot, of a pair of driveh forming rolls in opposition to said slot with the pass thereof under the head pressure of the glass in the tank, means for cooling said forming rolls, and a pair of supporting rolls engaging saidforming rolls a mg the sides thereof opposite to saidpass. 3. The ('oinbination with-a glass tank having an outlet slot, of-a pair of driven forming rolls in opposition tosaid slot with the pass there-of under the head ressure of the glass in the ta'nk, and a )an: of

driven supporting rolls engaging sai formsaid pass. I 3

l. The combination with a glass tank having an. outlet slot, of a pair offforming ing rolls along the sides thereof opposite to rolls in opposition to saidslot with the pass thcreof under the head pressure of the tank,

a. pair of" supporting rolls engaging said I forming rolls along the sides thereof 'opposite to said" pass, 'means for driying the supporting rolls,- and driving co'nfiectionsbetween the supporting rollsand the forming rolls;

'5. The combination witha glass tank having an outlet slot, of apairio i' it forming rolls in opposition to said slot With s". i the pass thereof under thei-headflpre'ssure of the glass in the tank, a pairiofs'u rolls engaging said forming rolls a sides thereof opposite said pass, adjustable swinging arms in which the forming rolls are journalled, pivoted to swingarou'nd the .19 axes of rotation of the forming rolls so} as to vary the'width of said pass, and means for adjusting. said arms and maintainingthem in adjusted position. (3. The combination with a havingan outlet slot, of a pairofdrive'n forming rolls in opposition to said slot with the pass thereof underthe head pressure of the glass in the tank, a pair of support ingrolls engaging said forming rolls alongthe sides thereof opposite said passf'adjustable swinging .arms in which the formingrolls are journalled,-pivoted to swing around the axesof rotation of the forming rolls,

so as to varyfthe width of said pass, lnea ns glass tank for adjusting said arms and maintaining-- themin adjusted position, means fordr ving the supporting rolls, and driving'connections between the'supporting rolls and formin' rolls. l 1

a The combination with a A glass tank having an outlet slot, of a pair of driven forming rolls'in opposition to said slot with the pass thereof under the head pressure of the glass in the tank, a pair of supporting 'olls engaging said forming rolls along the sides thereof opposite said pass, adjustable swinging arms in which the forming rolls are journ'alled, pivoted to swing around the axes of rotation of the forming-rolls so as to "ary the width of said pass, means for adjusting said arms and maintaining them in adjusted position, a frame in which the supporting rolls are 'journalled and means whereby said frame may be adjusted toward the tanki 8. The combination with a glass tank having an outlet slot, of a pair of driveir forming rolls in opposition to said slot with the pass thereof under the head pressure of the glass in the tank, a pair of supporting rolls engaging said forming rolls along the sides thereof opposite said pass, a pair of bell cranklevers at each end of the rolls pivoted at the axes of the supporting rolls and each having one arm in upright posi tion with journals in such arms in which the forming rolls are mounted, and adjusting means between the other ends of each pair of levers.

9. The combination with a glass tank having an outlet slot, of a pair of driven forming rollsin opposition to said slot with the pass thereof under the head pressure of the glass in the tank, a pair of supporting rolls engaging said forming rolls along the sides thereof opposite said pass, a pair of bell crank levers at each end of the rolls pivoted at the axes of the supporting rolls and each having one arm in upright position with journals in such arms in which the forming rolls are mounted, adjusting means between the other ends of each pair of lovers, means for driving the supporting rolls, and driving connections between the supporting rolls and forming rolls.

-In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of Janie ary,-1925.

HALBERT K. HITCHCOCK. 

